India's richest man wants to build a $32 tablet

While Apple and the Android suppliers are battling it out to see who can make the most expensive keyboardless netbook, an bloke in India has the right idea. Wipro boss, Azim Premji, who is the richest man in India, has announced plans to produce a $32 tablet.

He said he could make one at a fraction of the $640 starting cost of an Apple iPad in India. It will be aimed at India's rural poor and schoolchildren. It is being built at Wipro's Electronic City campus in Bangalore.

Premji thinks he will have a pilot model ready early next year. He said that he is developing nanotechnology and miniaturized components to help drive down power consumption and overall cost.

If it managed to do it, then it really could overturn the tablet market, which is being held up as the cheap and cheerful market refuses to undercut Apple.